The WNBA condemned all “bad-faith efforts” to marginalize any community in response to the controversy surrounding Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Since then, Freedom has been ejected from an Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game after a confrontation with Natasha Cloud, while former congressman Matt Gaetz signed White’s declaration and sent it to the league office.
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However, after a league source familiar with the decision told Front Office Sports that neither player is eligible for the draft, White is calling for “immediate action” from WNBA leadership.
“UPDATE: I have not received any official or unofficial communication back from the WNBA regarding my eligibility. I will say as a Black Trans lesbian, the rumors of denial for my multi-spirit existence are concerning,” he wrote on X.
“If the “sources” are true, I would like to see the league take immediate action to correct anybody who refuses to affirm my identity or use my pronouns pay/me. The WNBA leadership has to show up and 👏🏽 do 👏🏽 the 👏🏽 work. To tell a Black Trans woman she is not a woman or that the Trans experience is a “stunt”, is transphobic,” Royce White added, while ending the post with hashtag #LetRoyshaPlay.
According to FOS, the anonymous league source told them that both Freedom and White are ineligible but did not provide any reason for the decision.
While the 2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” it does not clarify whether that refers to sex assigned at birth or gender identity. That lack of clarity now sits at the heart of the controversy surrounding Royce White and Freedom’s declarations.
So, with this recent update, the situation is now in an unusual position, as the league is yet to make any official statement regarding their eligibility.
OutKick also reached out to the WNBA for a response, but according to an X post by Dan Zaksheske, the league has yet to provide an answer.
“OutKick asked the WNBA to explain why Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible, given that the league’s CBA says only women may play but does not define ‘woman.’ The league didn’t respond,” Zatksheske revealed.
The reality around transgender athletes playing in the WNBA is that it is not an immediate roster issue. No transgender player has played in the league, and there are no known players coming through the NCAA ranks who would make the question an immediate concern.
However, after Sophie Cunningham’s stance on the issue during an interview with ESPN on July 21 went viral, the conversation has found itself firmly in the league’s hot seat. So, the WNBA is expected to continue discussing the issue with different stakeholders rather than allowing outside pressure to dictate its decision.
For now, though, Royce White and Enes Kanter Freedom are still waiting for an official answer from the league, leaving their eligibility in limbo.